The Line of Kings Did Not Fail

By connecting Christ with Abraham Matthew is showing that not only is Christ a king in the Davidic line, he is thee king, whos rule will fulfil the presses to Abraham that all the nations would be blessed in his seed.

Lets read

Matthew 1:1–17 ESV

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon. 12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

May God Bless the reading of His Holy and infallible Word

Let’s Pray

Transition

Verse 1 gives us insight into why Matthew has the genealogy and where he does. Understand why Matthew includes this is vital because Luke also includes a genealogy as well, and Luke put the genealogy in a different place, and it is not identical to Matthews. Understanding the purposes Matthew has for this genealogy is fundamental to properly understanding it.

BODY

The Table Of Genealogies

Matthew 1:1 ESV

1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.

This is a very Jewish phrase that we can see in the Pentateuch

Gen 5:1 Reads “This is the book of the generations of Adam. When God created man, he made him in the likeness of God” (Ge 5:1, ESV)

The first statement, book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, should be understood as table, or catalog. Matthew does not intend to say here that the whole historical Biography he is writing is the genealogy of Jesus Christ any more then Moses ment the whole book of Genesis is a genealogy.

Further More, these phraseology gives us the first clue that Matthew Writes to Jewish people in is case for Christ

Next Matthew begins with Abraham

Because he knows his Jewish reader knows the promises to Abraham and they they will make the connect about Abraham seed that will bless the nation.

Then on to David connecting Christ to the kingly line.

David is emphasized in the Genealogy because he is the only person mentioned 3 times.

From these we understand that Matthew includes this Genealogy so the Jewish reader will see Christ as the fulfillment of the prophesier to Abraham and the rightful king.

Transition

Matthew breaks the Genealogy down into 3 parts. Later, when we get to verse 17, we will seen that the parts are numbered according to the normal reckoning of Matthews day, we will examine each part. Part one of the Genealogy is verse 2-6

Abraham to David

Matthew 1:2–6 ESV

2 Abraham was the father of Isaac, and Isaac the father of Jacob, and Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers, 3 and Judah the father of Perez and Zerah by Tamar, and Perez the father of Hezron, and Hezron the father of Ram, 4 and Ram the father of Amminadab, and Amminadab the father of Nahshon, and Nahshon the father of Salmon, 5 and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,

3 of the women mentioned in this genealogy are mentioned here.

The purpose of mentioning them, timing and typologies.

For example, by knowing that Salmon and Rahab we know that this even divides the wilderness and the enter into Caanan.

Nahshon, who is mentioned all the way back in Exodus 6, died in the wilderness, and Salmon was there when Jericho fell.

The Moabites were under a special curse, the yet God redeems the unlikely

The meaning of mentioning a pretend prostitute (Tamer), and actual prostitute (Rahab), a cursed Moabite (Ruth), and an adulterous (Bathsheba) is profound.

RC Sproul said, “At least three of the five (Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba) have Gentile associations, an important theme in this gospel.”[1] That’s just a small part of the significance of their being mentioned.

But it makes you stop and think about that

what about all the other women, like Sarah, or the wife of Nahshon, Salmon’s mom. There are 42 moms here and only 5 of them are mentioned?

The story is not about them, its about Jesus.

God often chooses the weak, and unlikely, Jesus did the same, He didn't choose 12 elite scholars, or 12 noble prince just twelve fishermen.

Before Jesus was ever born Ruth is receiving the blessing to the nations from Abraham's seed.

Before Jesus had come Bathsheba was experiencing the promises God made to David.

The reason these were chosen and others not mentioned is for God’s Glory.

Brothers and sisters it is likely all of us will live and die and not have our name written in history. But God will glorify himself and we, the light carriers, are blessed to be a part of it.

Keep the main thing the main thing. Jesus.

Transition

Though is are more we can say here, and God willing we will get back to this passage, its time look at the second grouping Matthew makes of the Genealogy. From David, to the Exile. Verse Matthew 1:6–11

David to the Exile

Matthew 1:6–11 ESV

6 and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, 7 and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah, and Abijah the father of Asaph, 8 and Asaph the father of Jehoshaphat, and Jehoshaphat the father of Joram, and Joram the father of Uzziah, 9 and Uzziah the father of Jotham, and Jotham the father of Ahaz, and Ahaz the father of Hezekiah, 10 and Hezekiah the father of Manasseh, and Manasseh the father of Amos, and Amos the father of Josiah, 11 and Josiah the father of Jechoniah and his brothers, at the time of the deportation to Babylon.

The way Bathsheba is mentioned here is “wife of Uriah” clearly intended to remind the reader of the whole story.

Almost all translation have the past tense, but the Greek is just by the the Uriah.

Calvin commented on this, “This taint, at the commencement of the kingdom, ought to have taught the Jews not to glory in the flesh. It was the design of God to show that, in establishing this kingdom, nothing depended on human merits.[2]

Here is the line of Kings from Judah, clearly this is about showing the legal right of Christ to the title king of Israel.

As I mentioned there are differences between Luke’s and Matthews Genealogy because of their intent, Luke the careful schalor give us Jesus’ natural line while Matthew focuses on Jesus’ legal hereditary.

Gabe may elaborate more on this Sunday.

We think of the line of David,

there were wicked kings like Rehoboam and Manasseh

There were righteous kings like Uzziah and Hezekiah

All part of this line and then there was that Exile,

Some thought that the line of kings was broken

but Matthew here is making the point that the line remains and Jesus takes up this mantle.

Transition

The third grouping that Matthew makes here we has the post Excilic names. Some of these are known names, like Shealtiel and Zerubbabel but many are not. Verse 12-16

Post Exilic

Matthew 1:12–16 ESV

12 And after the deportation to Babylon: Jechoniah was the father of Shealtiel, and Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel, 13 and Zerubbabel the father of Abiud, and Abiud the father of Eliakim, and Eliakim the father of Azor, 14 and Azor the father of Zadok, and Zadok the father of Achim, and Achim the father of Eliud, 15 and Eliud the father of Eleazar, and Eleazar the father of Matthan, and Matthan the father of Jacob, 16 and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.

Many of these names only apear here, as far as mentions in scripture.

“Eliud” for example is only mentioned here.

These names would have meant much to those waiting for the Davidic king.

Joseph was Jesus’ legal father, though not physically, and since Joseph was of the line of David, Jesus being Joseph’s legal ward make Jesus legally David’s son and rightful king of God’s people, Israel.

This is our king brothers and sisters, though we are graphed in to this people by God’s grace, Paul makes it clear that the Children of Abraham and those of the promise by faith,

“6 But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, 7 and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but “Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” 8 This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring.” (Ro 9:6–8, ESV)

By grace being graphted in to the promise by faith we can rightful say I am a child of Abraham and Jesus is my king.

I am a child of the promise and Jesus is the promised king.

Make no mistake, Jesus is king of the whole world and every knee will bow, but Jesus’ kingly role is only a comfort to his people, to all else it is a terror.

Jesus is king to God’s people,

His is the kingdom that will not end

His is the people that will go on to eternal life

Jesus is the king that will reign over God’s people forever on the thrown of his father David.

This is what Matthew is writing about here.

Transition

In verse 17 Matthew explains some of why he divided the genealogy into 3 parts.

The 3 Parts

Matthew 1:17 ESV

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

Understanding and talking about history in Matthews day would have been done much like this, by showing the large scale events connect thought history.

RC Sproul comments here saying “Matthew organizes the genealogy into three groups of fourteen to show that God has a purpose in history. The early history leading to David, the monarchy leading to the exile in Babylon, and the history of Israel after the exile all lead up to and point to Christ.[3]

This is Matthews prime point here, the coming of Christ at this time fits how God has worked.

Many after the Resurrection believe Jesus would return within 400 years, after all that’s the pattern right?

Something big seems to happen every about 350 - 600 years.

Augustine had to deal with these ideas in the 400s AD, he wrote in his greatest book, The City of God, “Not to be put off, however, some men have presumed to say that the complement of years between our Lord’s Ascension and His second coming will be 400, others, 500, others, as high as 1,000. It would be both a lengthy and pointless task to show how each one tries to bolster up his opinion. They fall back on human guesswork, you may be sure, for the canonical Scriptures afford them nothing clear-cut in the way of supporting evidence.[4]

Its not a new idea to try to see patterns in history and read them into the future.

There is a reason we do not know the day of his return,

there is a reason that the pattern didn’t continue,

Jesus is not just another event in history, he is thee event, it was all about him,

He is not just a piece in a greater puzzle his is the completed picture.

Conclusion

I challenge you this evening brothers and sisters, reject any interpretation of scripture, history, anything, that does not have Jesus at the center. Its all about him.

Benediction

Hebrews 13:20–21 ESV

20 Now may the God of peace who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great shepherd of the sheep, by the blood of the eternal covenant, 21 equip you with everything good that you may do his will, working in us that which is pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.

References

[1] R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1672.

[2]John Calvin and William Pringle, Commentary on a Harmony of the Evangelists Matthew, Mark, and Luke, vol. 1 (Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010), 91.

[3] R. C. Sproul, ed., The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition) (Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015), 1672.

[4] Augustine of Hippo, The City of God, Books XVII–XXII, ed. Hermigild Dressler, trans. Gerald G. Walsh and Daniel J. Honan, vol. 24, The Fathers of the Church (Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1954), 177.

Bibliography

Augustine of Hippo. The City of God, Books XVII–XXII. Edited by Hermigild Dressler. Translated by Gerald G. Walsh and Daniel J. Honan. Vol. 24. The Fathers of the Church. Washington, DC: The Catholic University of America Press, 1954.

Calvin, John, and John Owen. Commentaries on the Twelve Minor Prophets. Bellingham, WA: Logos Bible Software, 2010.

Sproul, R. C., ed. The Reformation Study Bible: English Standard Version (2015 Edition). Orlando, FL: Reformation Trust, 2015.

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